Method and apparatus for marking rubber strips



R. P. HASSLER.

METHOD AND APPARATUS\ FOR MARKING RUBBER STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1, I921- Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Inventor RP. Hassler f/W1 n 4 W Amy.

UNITED STATES ROBERT P. HASSLER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF YORK, N. Y.,. A. CORPONATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MARKING RUBBER STRIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application filed August 1, 1921 Serial No. 488,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Romm'r P. HASSLER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Akron, inthecounty of Summit and tate of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Method and A paratus for Marking Rubber Strips, ofwhlch the following is a specification. l This invention relates to means for impressing a design such as-a name or a trademark in the surface of a raw rubber article,

and more particularly raw rubber in strip form extruded from a tubing machine, and its object is to enable this operation to be rapidly andelfectively performed and the marking preserved during the subsequent vulcanization of the article. 7

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in-section, showing an apparatus constructed according to my invention and adapted to carry out the steps thereof. v

Fig. 2 is an edge view" of the marking machine taken from the plane 2-2 of'Fig.'1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing a ortion ofthe marking drum and pressure-r0 er with the work in progress of being marked.-

Fig. 4 is a view of the rubber strip with the m rking impressed thereon.

In t e drawings, 10 is the delivery end of an ordinary'tubmg machine, and 11 is the raw rubber strip extruded therefrom, being in this instance a round strip of tubular form, such as is used for perambulator tiring. 12 is a drum whose upper surface is located in line with and slightly above the level of the outlet from the tubing machine, said drum carrying a set of short needles or marking points 13 adapted to form shallow pits or indentations in the under surface of the rubber strip, these pits forming the linesstrip against the surface of the drum in order to cause penetration of the needles, the

shaft of this roller being carried by an apertured bracket 16, slidable vertically on an arm 17 which forms a part of the machine frame or standard 18, and ada ted to-be fixed at different heights thereon y means of a set-screw 19. The standard 18 also carries a horizontal arm 203m which is mounted a horiaontally-adjustable guide 21 for the strip passing onto the drum, and another horizontal arm 22 which carries a grooved idleroller 23 for guiding the strip as it leaves the drum. n.

The drum 12 turns upon a shaft 24carr1ed by the supporting standard, and is driven by a belt 25 from a small pulley 26' rotated by gearing in a box 27 from the shaft of an electric motor 28, the motor and gear-box be ng carried by a bracket 29 shiftable'ver tically onthe supporting standard and held by. a set-screw 30, whereby thetension on the belt may be adjusted. The standard 18 is carried by a base 31. l

32 is anopen-topped box, pan or trough supported by frame-work 33 and containing a body 34 of powdered, earthy material such as soapstone, through which the marked strip ispassed for the purpose of filling the pits constituting the'marking 14 in order to prevent their closure by the softening. of the rubber during subsequent vulcanization.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

trough 32, is received and coiled or rolled up in any suitable way, and is then vulcanized inthe usual manner without a mold, the preferred method being to pack 'it in soapstone in a box and apply heat in the usual way at vulcanizing temperature.

From the foregoing description the operation will be evident, the raw rubber strip '11 as it issues from the tubingmachine 10 being carried through the guide 21 onto the surface of the drum 12 and having its under surface indented at regular intervals by means of the needles .13 operating in conjunction with the presser-roll 15 in order to impress an intaglio design such as 14 in the rubber in the form of lines of small pits. The marked strip then assesover the grooved idle-roller 23 and into the body of soapstone 34 in the trough 32, whereby the pits become filled with. soapstone, after which the strip is coiled. (or it might be cut into lengths without coiling) and vulcanized as previously described. Theuse of the marking needles acting progressively in the manner set forth enables me to impress the desired marking on the surface of the strip without unduly deforming it.

Various changes may be made. in the described mode of embodiment without departingfrom the essential features of the invention.

I claim: I

1. The method of marking rubber strip stock which comprises progressively impressing an intaglio markin in the surface of the raw rubber strip, filling the i1npressions to prevent their closure, and vulcanizing the strip without a mold.

2. The method of marking rubber strip stock which comprises rolling a set of marking needles against the raw strip, and vulcanizing the strip in conjunction with a filler to prevent the closure of the needle its.

p 3. The method of marking rubber strip stock which comprises progressively impressing an intaglio marklng in the surface of the raw strip, filling the impressions with a powder, and vulcanizing the strip.

4. The herein-described method which comprises extruding a raw rubber strip from a tubing machine, rolling an intaglio marking into the surface of the strip as it issues from the machine, passing the marked strip through powdered soapstone to fill the impressions, and vulcanizing the strip.

5. The method of marking rubber articles which comprises indentingthe surface of the rubber with a design whose lines consist of a multiplicity of small pits, filling these pits with mineral powder, and vulcanizing the article in mineral powder.

6. The herein-described method which comprises extruding a rubber strip from a tubing machine, rolling a set of marking needles against the raw strip as it issues from the machine, passing the marked strip through powdered earthy material to fill the pits, and vulcanizing the strip in powdered earthy material.

7. In rubbing marking apparatus, the combination of a tubing machine, means for progressively indenting a design in the surface of the raw strip issuing from said machine, and means for progressively filling the impressions with powdered material.

8. In rubber marking apparatus, the combination of a. drum having a set of marking needles, means for supplying raw rubber in strip vform to said drum, means for pressing the strip against the drum to cause penetration of the needles, and means for progressively filling the needle pits with powdered material.

9. In rubber marking apparatus, the combination. of atubing machine, a drum having marking needles on its surface for receiving the raw strip from said machine, means for rotating said drum to propel the strip, and a soapstone trough arranged beyond said drum through which the marked strip is passed.

a in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th da of July, 1921.

ROB RT P. HASSLER. 

